Back in a October a graffiti vandal managed to hit the tipping point for public outrage. He not only paint-bombed the long-vacant Hibernia Bank in the Tenderloin, he had the gall to have a friend record him (above) spraying the historic building.

Since the Hibernia was finally getting a long-awaited upgrade, with the promise of a new tenant, residents in the neighborhood were furious. And so was Tenderloin Police Capt. Jason Cherniss.

“The guy probably doesn’t even live here,” Cherniss said at the time. “To come into the Tenderloin and do this is terrible. I think he needs a little judicial intervention.”

Now it sounds like — in a rare moment of progress — comeuppance may be in the offing. Cherniss called Friday to say that a $40,000 warrant has been issued for John “Jack” Nelson. As readers pointed out at the time, Nelson is a longtime and prolific graffiti tagger, whose work has besmirched buildings all over the city.

The perfect irony would be if the video Nelson created was the reason he was caught, but Cherniss would only say that there are “aspects of the video that helped” in finding him. Nelson was apparently living in the city until recently, but now may be on the run.

Now for the interesting part. Last month an anti-graffiti proposal by Supervisor London Breed passed the Board of Supervisors unanimously. It calls for San Francisco to use a model popularized in San Diego, where authorities bring civil suits against constant offenders. By collecting “tags,” prosecutors can not only make a case that the offender is causing thousands of dollars of damage, but bill him for the cost of cleanup.

If Nelson is caught — fingers crossed — he could be the perfect candidate to test the new law. Tag that, Jack.